Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Adults With Diabetes Mellitus, U.S., 2018

Hepatitis B vaccination is routinely recommended for adults with diabetes mellitus aged <60 years and for those aged ≥60 years at the discretion of their healthcare provider. The purpose of this study is to assess hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults with and without diabetes mellitus.

Data from the 2014-2018 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed in 2020 to determine hepatitis B vaccination series completion (≥3 doses) among adults aged 18-59 and ≥60 years with diabetes mellitus. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors independently associated with hepatitis B vaccination among adults aged 18-59 and ≥60 years with diabetes mellitus.

In 2018, among adults aged 18-59 years with diabetes mellitus, 33.2% had received hepatitis B vaccination (≥3 doses), an increase of 9.7 percentage points from 2014 (p<0.05). Among adults aged ≥60 years with diabetes mellitus, coverage was 15.3% in 2018 and did not increase during 2014-2018. Coverage was not significantly different among adults with diabetes mellitus compared with those without diabetes mellitus, even after controlling for the assessed factors. Among adults with diabetes mellitus aged 18-59 and ≥60 years, younger age, having some college or college education, having been tested for HIV, being healthcare personnel, or having traveled to hepatitis B virus-endemic areas were independently associated with an increased likelihood of vaccination.

Self-reported hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults with diabetes mellitus remains suboptimal. Healthcare providers should assess patients' diabetes status, recommend and offer needed vaccinations to patients, or refer them to alternate sites for vaccination.